1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of serving trays for transporting food products, and more particularly to a novel hand-held tray supporting food products and which includes means for manually controlling the position and balance of the tray.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to employ a serving tray for food products such as cocktails, soft drinks, sandwich plates and the like. Such trays usually comprise a disk-like support with an upturned edge marginal region forming a continuous sidewall or edge wall. The supporting disk is flat on the top surface and the undersurface and when food products are carried, they are positioned on the top surface while the server or transporter's hand is engaged with the flat undersurface. Generally, in order to properly control and balance a food-carrying tray, the server's hand must be-radically bent at the wrist at an approximate 90 degree angle while the tray is being carried as the server walks. Such an angle is unnatural and can cause harm and injury to the server's hand, wrist and arm body components, such as muscles, ligaments or the like. Furthermore, it is difficult for the server to balance and therefore control the tray since liquid in the containers being supported by the tray often displaces so as to cause an unbalanced condition. Obviously, spillage or dropping of the tray may cause damage to customers as well as the server.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a means for controlling the support and balance of a food and beverage carrying tray as well as alleviating physical discomfort in the user's wrist and hand. Such a means should be integral with the serving tray and not interfere with the support of food and beverage containers on the supporting surface of the tray. Also, means may be included which are decorative and which may be used for display or advertising purposes.